Busuu Korean Review (2026): Is It Worth It?

What Busuu does well

Busuu has been available since September 2010 and offers courses in 14 languages. Its Korean course is used by more than 100,000 learners, according to the Busuu website. The service works on the web, iOS and Android.

These are its strongest features for Korean learners:

• A structured Korean course with 185+ lessons. The Complete Korean course gives learners a defined sequence rather than leaving them to choose every activity themselves. Lessons are short and include practice and progress checks.

• Corrections from Korean speakers. Learners can submit written or spoken exercises to the community. Korean speakers can correct those submissions, and learners can help people studying their own language in return.

• A useful free tier. Many lessons are available without paying. One recent reviewer said the free version covers most of the course apart from the AI conversation and speaking lessons, although it includes advertising.

• Three Korean courses. Busuu offers Complete Korean, K-Drama and Hangeul (Hangul) courses. The K-Drama course provides a specialised option beyond the main curriculum, while the Hangeul course gives new learners a place to start with the alphabet.

• Grammar and vocabulary review. Smart Review stores grammar and vocabulary introduced in lessons. Premium includes separate Grammar Review and Vocabulary Review features.

• Study planning. The personalised Study Plan asks when and how long you want to study. It then schedules study and sends reminders. One recent Premium subscriber singled it out as the feature they liked most.

• Video flashcards and cultural information. Lessons use video flashcards featuring real people, along with cultural tips. Busuu also promotes immersive videos featuring native speakers as part of its speaking practice.

• Progress features and certificates. Busuu says it charts your progress with AI, and it offers official Busuu language certificates. Premium subscribers can also skip lessons and study offline.

• Broad device support. Busuu works on iOS, Android and the web. This matters if you want to switch between a phone and computer, or if you do not use an iPhone.

The community is Busuu's clearest distinction. Recent reviewers repeatedly praised having a real person correct a sentence and being able to return that help. For learners who find automated feedback too impersonal, that exchange has genuine value.

Its public rating is also strong. The app had 4.7 out of 5 from 100,595 ratings in the US App Store when checked. Among the 150 most recent reviews, 118 awarded five stars and 18 awarded four.

Where Busuu falls short

Speaking practice requires Premium Plus

Busuu separates its subscriptions into Premium and Premium Plus. Premium includes grammar and vocabulary review, certificates, offline mode, lesson skipping and no advertising.

AI Conversations and pronunciation practice are only included with Premium Plus. This means learners interested mainly in speaking need the top tier, even though lower-cost plans cover much of the conventional course.

Busuu describes its speaking work through conversation lessons, pronunciation feedback, submitted exercises and videos. Its main strength remains structured exercise-based learning rather than a large library of open voice roleplays.

Lingrow approaches speaking differently. It has voice conversations across 350+ real-life scenarios, from beginner to advanced. The system adjusts the difficulty while you speak, then provides specific feedback after each conversation.

Free lessons come with frequent ads

The free tier is real and covers many lessons, but advertising was the dominant complaint in recent reviews. About nine of the 150 reviews examined complained about ads after lesson sections. Some users considered them intrusive, and some raised concerns about the advertisements shown.

That trade-off may still be reasonable if your priority is accessing structured lessons without paying. Busuu is one of the stronger options to compare in our guide to the best apps to learn Korean.

However, the interruptions may make short daily sessions less pleasant. Learners who pay for Premium get an advertisement-free experience.

Billing complaints deserve attention

Billing problems appeared in about four of the 150 recent reviews. Reported themes included renewal after a user believed they had unsubscribed, a duplicate annual charge and support emails going unanswered.

These reports represent a small share of the reviews examined, but the amounts involved can be significant. Check the renewal terms and your subscription status after cancelling. Deleting an app does not itself confirm that a subscription has been cancelled.

One paying Premium subscriber also reported repeated Premium Plus promotion pop-ups when trying to use the microphone in a conversation lesson. That review described the promotion as blocking access to the activity.

The pace can feel fast

Two recent reviewers said lessons introduced too many words at once or progressed too quickly. This will not affect everyone, especially because Busuu provides review tools and a study plan.

Still, a fixed lesson sequence cannot always respond to confusion as it happens. Lingrow's guided lessons let you ask the AI tutor questions before using new material in a short roleplay.

Accessibility and minor app issues appeared in reviews

One reviewer reported that lesson text did not follow the device's system text size. That can be particularly difficult when reading unfamiliar Korean characters. Another mentioned occasional log-outs, while another disliked persistent notification prompts.

These were isolated complaints rather than repeated themes. They are still worth knowing if adjustable text size or uninterrupted access is important to you. The current iOS version also requires iOS 18 or later.

Pricing

Busuu offers Premium and Premium Plus, billed monthly or for 12 months. Its own plans page displays prices in the visitor's local currency and advertised a 50 per cent saving when checked.

The US App Store listed these in-app purchases as of September 2026:

• Monthly Premium costs around $23 a month as of September 2026.
• Twelve months of Premium was listed at around $139.
• Older or promotional annual Premium purchases were also listed at around $70 and $80.
• Twelve months of Premium Plus was listed at around $140.

In practical terms, 12-month plans range from around $70 to $140 as of September 2026, depending on the promotion and tier. Exact prices vary by region.

The free tier provides access to many lessons but includes ads. Premium adds review tools, certificates, offline mode and lesson skipping. Premium Plus adds AI Conversations, pronunciation practice, exclusive content and streak protection.

Before subscribing, check which tier is shown at checkout. Learners seeking speaking practice should confirm that they are buying Premium Plus rather than Premium.

Who Busuu is for

Busuu suits learners who want a course that tells them what to study next. The 185+ Korean lessons, Study Plan and review tools create a conventional route through vocabulary and grammar.

It is particularly appealing if you want feedback from real Korean speakers. Community members can correct written and spoken exercises, giving Busuu a human element that Lingrow does not claim to provide. A human correction may also reveal how a sentence sounds to an actual speaker.

The free tier makes Busuu suitable for learners who cannot commit to a subscription. It is also the better fit if you need Android or browser access, since Lingrow is currently iOS only.

Learners focused on Hangeul may want to compare Busuu with the best apps to learn Hangeul. Busuu confirms that a Hangeul course exists, but does not publish enough detail to assess its exact coverage.

If your central goal is spontaneous conversation, Busuu is less direct. Its strongest features are lessons, reviews and community exercises. Lingrow is built around repeated voice roleplay, adaptive difficulty and feedback after every conversation.

Using both is reasonable. Busuu can provide a structured course and community corrections, while Lingrow supplies regular conversational practice.

Busuu vs Lingrow

Busuu is the better choice for a broad, structured course with human community corrections. It also wins on platform availability and permanent free access. Those advantages are meaningful, especially for Android users or learners studying on a computer.

Lingrow is better for speaking-focused learners. Its roleplays cover 350+ real-life scenarios, and difficulty changes during the conversation. Afterwards, learners receive feedback on grammar, vocabulary, fluency and pronunciation, with specific suggestions.

Lingrow also gives more published detail about its alphabet training. Its nine-lesson Hangeul course covers all 40 letters, syllable blocks and batchim. Learners receive pronunciation ratings on letters and syllables, including vowels and the 가, 카 and 까 contrast. Handwriting recognition, a placement test and a per-letter strength grid support review.

For more help choosing by learning goal, see how to choose a language learning app.

Verdict

Busuu's Korean course is a solid option for learners who want structure, vocabulary review and feedback from real Korean speakers. Its 185+ lessons, three Korean courses and generous free tier give it more substance than a simple practice tool.

The trade-offs are clear. Advertising interrupts the free experience, while AI Conversations and pronunciation practice require Premium Plus. Recent billing complaints also make it sensible to check renewal details carefully.

Choose Busuu if you want a conventional course, community corrections, Android access or substantial free lessons. Choose Lingrow if your priority is holding conversations and receiving specific feedback after speaking. Using Busuu for structured study and Lingrow for conversation practice is a sensible combination.

Frequently asked questions

Is Busuu good for learning Korean?

Busuu is good for Korean learners who want a structured course and corrections from Korean speakers. Its Korean offering has 185+ lessons, vocabulary practice, a Hangeul course and a K-Drama course. If your main goal is holding conversations, Lingrow provides 350+ voice roleplays and detailed feedback after you speak.

Can I learn Korean on Busuu for free?

Busuu has a genuine free tier that covers many lessons, making it a practical free option for Korean study. You will see ads between lessons, and AI Conversations and pronunciation practice require Premium Plus. Lingrow uses a subscription with a free trial rather than a permanent free tier.

How much does Busuu cost?

Busuu Premium costs around $23 a month as of September 2026 through the US App Store. Listed 12-month purchases range from around $70 to $140, depending on the tier and promotion. Prices vary by region, and the Busuu site advertises substantial annual discounts. Speaking features require the Premium Plus tier.

Is Busuu or Lingrow better for Korean speaking practice?

Lingrow is better for learners whose priority is spoken Korean conversation. It offers 350+ real-life roleplay scenarios, adjusts difficulty while you speak and gives feedback on grammar, vocabulary, fluency and pronunciation. Busuu is better if you want a conventional course, a permanent free tier and written or spoken corrections from Korean community members.

Does Busuu teach Hangeul?

Busuu offers a dedicated Hangeul course, but it does not publish detailed information about its contents. Lingrow has nine Hangeul lessons covering all 40 letters, syllable blocks and batchim. It also rates pronunciation on individual letters and syllables, checks handwriting from memory and uses spaced repetition to track each letter.